Concrete finishing float

ABSTRACT

This bull float includes an elongate handle detachably connected to a concrete finishing float. The coupling between the handle and the float includes a plug and socket connection provided with a detent sleeve which holds related pin and slot parts in engagement. The coupling also provides a tilt control including a shaft connected to the end of the handle and relatively rotatable therewith. The shaft is axially rotatable about its own axis and is pivotally connected to the float. A pair of cables reversely wound on the shaft and secured to spaced points on the float changes the angle of tilt as the handle is rotated.

United States Patent 1191 Irwin et al.

1 CONCRETE FINISHING FLOAT [75] Inventors: Waverly G. Irwin, 118 Morningside Dr., Jefferson City, Mo. 65101; Otto H. Taube, Jefferson City, Mo.

[73] Assignee: said Waverly G. Irwin, by said Otto H. Taube 1221 Filed: Nov. 29, 1972 211 App]. No.:3l0,416

52 us. C1 .1 15/2358, 15/144 R, 306/44 511 int. c1. E0lc 19/44 58 Field 01 Search 306/2, 11, 19, 21, 22,

306/23, 44; 15/2358, 235.4,145,143 B, 144 R; 287/103 A; 279/81, 1 B

[ Mar. 26, 1974 Primary ExaminerLeon G. Machlin [5 7] ABSTRACT This bull float includes an elongate handle detachably connected to a concrete finishing float. The coupling between the handle and the float includes a plug and socket connection provided with a detent sleeve which holds related pin and slot parts in engagement. The coupling also provides a tilt control including a shaft connected to the end of the handle and relatively rotatable therewith. The shaft is axially rotatable about its own axis and is pivotally connected to the float. A pair of cables reversely wound on the shaft and secured to spaced points on the float changes the angle of tilt as the handle is rotated.

4 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures CONCRETE FINISHING FLOAT BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates generally to a concrete finishing device and particularly to a finishing float of the type known as a bull float.

It is frequently necessary for cement masons to make use of long reach floats in concrete finish work and it is desirable that such floats be provided with means for tilting the float work face, operable from the remote end, to facilitate the forward pushing and backward pulling of the float as it moves over the work surface. It is also desirable to orient the float face to a position suitable for achieving the required slope of the finished surface. Long reach bull floats are provided with either long, one-piece handles, which renders storage difficult, or handles made up of several extension pieces, which are interconnected by threaded couplings to each other and to the float making the task of assembling the device a time consuming operation. From the point of view of storage it is particularly important that a long reach handle be readily disconnectable from the float.

The prior art discloses a number of different methods of tilting the float relative to the handle. For example, handles having a rotating cam attachment are known. However, such cam attachments suffer the disadvantage that they require a complicated crank support structure. Handles which may be twisted to control a spiral rod connection varying the inclination of the float are also known but these suffer the disadvantage that the strength of the connection is dependent on the strength of the spiral rod. Other devices are known which rely on various types of linkage control and suffer generally from the disadvantage that they are complicated and cumbersome. None of the above devices appear to have been wholly accepted by the art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This bull float is provided with a sectionalized handle which may be readily connected together without the need for threaded fasteners. Further, the float itself is easily disconnected from the handle to facilitate storage.

The angle of tilt of this bull float may be readily adjusted from the remote end of the handle by the cement mason in any direction to facilitate movement of the float across the wet concrete surface and to accommodate the desired angle of the finished work.

The device is relatively simple in structure and therefore inexpensive to manufacture. Further, it may be manipulated by an operator without special training.

This concrete finishing float includes an elongate handle having a float attached at one end. The handle is detachably connected to the float by coupling means which include a plug and socket connection. The plug is provided with a radially extending pin and the socket is provided with an open-ended slot having a re-entrant portion receiving the pin. A rotatable sleeve mounted exteriorly of the socket portion provides a detent selectively blocking the re-entrant portion of the sleeve to preclude inadvertent withdrawal of the handle from the float.

The socket includes an annular groove providing spaced shoulder elements and the sleeve is mounted within said groove between the shoulder elements. The

sleeve includes a notched margin providing the detent portion. The open-ended slot includes a lengthwise extending portion communicating with the re-entrant portion and the margin notch is substantially U-shaped having the same width as the re-entrant slot portion.

The means coupling the handle to the float include a shaft attached to the handle and first and second pivot means attaching the shaft to the float. The first pivot means provides the shaft with a rotational capability about its own axis and the second pivot means provides the shaft with an inclination capability relative to the float face. The coupling means also includes a pair of flexible elements attached between the shaft and the float on either side of the second pivot means. The flexible elements are reversely wound about the shaft.

The first pivot means includes a sleeve within which the shaft is rotatively mounted, the sleeve being retained on the shaft by spaced annular collars.

The second pivot means includes a pair of overlapping plates connected by a transverse pin, one of said plates being fixedly attached to the sleeve and the other of said plates being fixedly attached to the float to provide a rocker connection between the float and the shaft.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a plan view of the float with a handle attached;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged detail of the float illustrating the coupling means between the float and the handle;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3-3 of FIG.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged detail of the socket portion of the coupling; and

FIG. 5 is an enlarged detail of the plug portion of the coupling; and

FIG. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view of the plug and socket coupling.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now by characters of reference to the drawings and first to FIG. 1 it will be understood that the concrete finishing float includes a finishing float unit 10 constituting float means, which is provided with an elongate sectionalized handle 11 constituting handle means.

As shown in enlarged detail in FIGS. 2 and 3 the handle 11 and float 10 are coupled together so as to permit detachment of the handle and also to permit the relative inclination of these two elements to be varied as desired. The coupling means is generally indicated by numeral 12 in FIG. 2 and includes a shaft 13 which is detachably connected to the end of the handle 11 and pivotally connected to the float 10.

The shaft 13 is pivotally connected about its own longitudinal axis and about an axis transverse to said axis by means of a pivot bearing generally indicated by numeral 14. The pivot bearing 14 includes a sleeve 15, constituting a first pivot means, which receives the shaft 14 in rotatable relationand the shaft 14 includes a pair of collars 16 providing spaced stop means precluding relative longitudinal movement between said shaft and sleeve. The pivot bearing 14 also includes pivotally connected pairs of overlapping bearing plates 17 and 18, constituting a second pivot means, which are attached respectively to the sleeve and the float 10 which are pivotally connected to each other by means of a pivot pin 20. The collars 16 provide sufficient tolerance to permit the shaft 13 to be rotated when the handle 11 is twisted. The lower bearing plates 18 are attached to a generally channel-shaped base 22 which includes a flat finishing face 23.

The relative inclination between the float 10 and the handle 11 is controlled by means of a pair of reversely wound cables 24 and 25, which constitute flexible elements, extending between the shaft 13 and the float base plate 22. The inner cable 24 is attached to the shaft 13 by means of an apertured lug 26 welded, or otherwise attached, to the shaft 13 and provided with a set screw 27 for securing the cable 24 to the lug 26. The other end of the cable 24 is similarly attached to the base plate 22 by means of a lug 30 provided with a set screw 31. The outer cable 25 is likewise attached to the shaft 13 by means of an apertured lug 32 and se' cured by a set screw 33, and is attached to the base plate 22 by means ofa lug 34 secured by a set screw 35. it will be readily understood that by rotating the handle 11, and therefore the shaft 13, in one direction, cable 24 will be wound onto the shaft 13 and cable 25 will be unwound from the shaft 13. This operation effectively shortens and lengthens the cables 24 and 25 respectively thereby pivoting the float 10 about the pivot pin to selectively change the inclination of the float 10 relative to the handle 11. Twisting the handle 11 in the opposite direction of course results in the reverse angling of the float.

The coupling means provides a plug and socket connection between the handle 11 and the shaft 13 is shown with particularity in FIGS. 4, 5 and 6. The plug portion 41 is provided by a reduced portion of the end of the handle 11 and includes a radially projecting pin 42. The socket portion 43 is provided at the upper end of the shaft 13, and as shown in FIG. 4, is of a size to receive the plug portion 41 in sliding relation. The socket portion 43 includes a groove 44 defined by opposed annular shoulders 45 and 46 in which is mounted a rotatable sleeve 47 defined by opposed margins 50 and 51. An open-ended slot 52 is formed in the side wall of the socket portion 43 having a width slightly greater than the diameter of the pin 42. The slot 52 includes a lengthwise extending longitudinal portion 53, a transverse portion 54 and a re-entrant portion 55. The transverse portion 54 is disposed within the groove 44 and is generally overlapped by the rotatable sleeve 47. The sleeve margin 50 includes a U-shaped notch 56, which is of a size to receive the pin 42. Because of the freely rotatable nature of the sleeve 44 the notch 56 may be aligned with the longitudinal slot portion 53 to permit the pin 42 to enter the transverse slot portion 54 communicating with the re-entrant slot portion 55. By rotating the plug portion 41 relative to the socket portion 43 when the pin 42 is disposed within the transverse slot portion 54 and the U-shaped notch 56, the plug portion 41 and the sleeve 47 may be rotated together until the pin 42 is aligned with the re-entrant slot portion 55. The plug portion 41 may then be urged outwardly of the socket portion 43 so that said pin is received within the re-entrant slot portion 55. The reentrant portion 55 is substantially the same size as the 6 U-shaped notch 56 and, when the pin 41 is received therein, the sleeve 47 can be freely rotated so that the notch 56 is moved out of alignment with said re-entrant slot portion 55. When the sleeve is so rotated the sleeve margin 50 extends across the re-entrant slot portion 55 to provide a detent holding the pin 42 captive within the re-entrant slot portion 55, thereby precluding withdrawal of the plug portion 41 from the socket portion 43.

It is thought that the structural features of this concrete finishing float have become fully apparent from the foregoing description of parts but for completeness of disclosure the assembly and use of the device will be briefly summarized.

Because of the desirability, in some circumstances, of providing handles of considerable length the handle 11 is preferably made up from a plurality of sections such as indicated by numeral 111 in P10. 1. The sections 111 are preferably connected together in the same manner as for the connection between the end of the handle 11 and the shaft 13. it will be understood that one end of each section is provided with a plug portion and the other end with an interfitting socket portion.

The assembled handle 11 is connected to the shaft 13 by simply aligning the plug pin 42 with the slot 55 as shown in FIG. 4 and then inserting the plug portion 41 within the socket portion 43 with the sleeve notch 56 and the longitudinal slot portion 53 aligned. By twisting the handle 11 slightly so that the pin 42 traverses the transverse slot portion, rotating the sleeve with it, the pin is disposed opposite the re-entrant slot portion 55 and may be urged into said re-entrant slot portion by applying a pull to the handle 11. By turning the sleeve 47 so that the sleeve margin 50 extends across the reentrant slot portion 55, inadvertent withdrawal of the plug portion 41 from the socket portion 43 is preeluded. It will be understood that when it is desired to remove the handle 11 the sleeve 44 is simply rotated until the notch 56 is aligned with the re-entrant slot portion 55 and the procedure described above reversed. Each handle section 111 is coupled and uncoupled in a like manner.

When connected as described above the handle 11 and the shaft 13 are effectively secured together so that rotation of the handle 11. rotates the shaft 13 within the bearing sleeve 15. The effect of such rotation is to shorten one of the reversely wound cables 24 and 2S and lengthen the other. This action pivots the float 11) about the pivot pin 20 relative to the shaft 13 and results in a change in the angle of inclination between the finishing face 23 of the float 10 and the handle 11. The desired float angle is thus selectively controlled in this manner,

Because of the arrangement described above it will be clear, as illustrated in FIG. 2, that the flexible cable 24 provides a tension element precluding counter clockwise rotation of the shaft 13 about the pivot pin 20 and cable 25 provides a tension element precluding counterclockwise rotation of the shaft 13 about the pin 20. This arrangement ensures that the relative angle of inclination between the handle 11 and the float 10 is maintained until such time as said handle is again twisted.

We claim as our invention:

1. A concrete finishing float comprising:

a. handle means,

b. float means including a finishing face,

c. coupling means connecting the handle means to the float means and including: 1. shaft means attached to the handle means,

2. first pivot means attaching the shaft means to the float means for axial rotation of the shaft means, 3. second pivot means attaching the shaft means to the float means for inclination of the shaft means relative to the finishing face, and 4. means selectively controlling the angle of inclination between said finishing face and said shaft means including a pair of flexible elements attached between the shaft means and the float means in reversely wound relation. 2. A finishing float as defined in claim 1, in which: d. the shaft means includes an elongate shaft having axially spaced stop means, e. the first pivot means includes a relatively rotatable sleeve means mounted to said shaft between said spaced stop means, and

f. the second pivot means connects said sleeve means to said float means.

3. A finishing float as defined in claim 2, in which:

g. the second pivot means includes a pair of overlapping plates connected by a pin transversely disposed of the shaft, and

h. one of said plates is fixedly attached to the sleeve means and the other of said plates is fixedly attached to said float means. 7

4. A finishing float as defined in claim 3, in which:

i. the flexible elements are disposed on either side of the pin. 

1. A concrete finishing float comprising: a. handle means, b. float means including a finishing face, c. coupling means connecting the handle means to the float means and including:
 1. shaft means attached to the handle means,
 2. first pivot means attaching the shaft means to the float means for axial rotation of the shaft means,
 3. second pivot means attaching the shaft means to the float means for inclination of the shaft means relative to the finishing face, and
 4. means selectively controlling the angle of inclination between said finishing face and said shaft means including a pair of flexible elements attached between the shaft means and the float means in reversely wound relation.
 2. first pivot means attaching the shaft means to the float means for axial rotation of the shaft means,
 2. A finishing float as defined in claim 1, in which: d. the shaft means includes an elongate shaft having axially spaced stop means, e. the first pivot means includes a relatively rotatable sleeve means mounted to said shaft between said spaced stop means, and f. the second pivot means connects said sleeve means to said float means.
 3. second pivot means attaching the shaft means to the float means for inclination of the shaft means relative to the finishing face, and
 3. A finishing float as defined in claim 2, in which: g. the second pivot means includes a pair of overlapping plates connected by a pin transversely disposed of the shaft, and h. one of said plates is fixedly attached to the sleeve means and the other of said plates is fixedly attached to said float means.
 4. means selectively controlling the angle of inclination between said finishing face and said shaft means including a pair of flexible elements attached between the shaft means and the float means in reversely wound relation.
 4. A finishing float as defined in claim 3, in which: i. the flexible elements are disposed on either side of the pin. 